Hearing Protection
Many employers are familiar with the Cal OSHA requirement for Hearing Conservation. Hearing Conservation applies to General Industry work environments, however, it does NOT apply to the Construction industry.
OSTS assists its Construction Industry employers with policy and training that includes the details below:
OSHA determined that construction workers’ activities vary too greatly every day to allow task-based activities to drive hearing protection requirements. For construction industry employers, the hearing conservation standard requirements are not applicable, but construction employers still must comply with OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) of 90 dbA 8TWA, but NOT General Industry’s Action Level of 85 dbA 8TWA.
Construction employers can forego the GISO requirements of annual audiometric exams and development of a Hearing Conservation program, however, they will need to ensure employees do not exceed the PEL (see the excerpt from CalOSHA regulations below). To determine employee noise exposures, quantitative testing (dosimetry testing) may be necessary.
Excerpt from CCR Title 8 Section 5096
When employees are subjected to sound levels exceeding those listed in Table N-1 of this section, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table, personal protective equipment shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table.
Table N-1
Permissible Noise Exposure
|
Sound level dBA |
Permitted Duration Per Workday (hour-minutes) |
Hours |
Sound level dBA |
Permitted Duration Per Workday (hour-minutes) |
Hours |
|
90 |
8-0 |
8.00 |
103 |
1-19 |
1.32 |
|
91 |
6-58 |
6.96 |
104 |
1-9 |
1.15 |
|
92 |
6-4 |
6.06 |
105 |
1-0 |
1.00 |
|
93 |
5-17 |
5.28 |
106 |
0-52 |
0.86 |
|
94 |
4-36 |
4.60 |
107 |
0-46 |
0.76 |
|
95 |
4-0 |
4.00 |
108 |
0-40 |
0.66 |
|
96 |
3-29 |
3.48 |
109 |
0-34 |
0.56 |
|
97 |
3-2 |
3.03 |
110 |
0-30 |
0.50 |
|
98 |
2-38 |
2.63 |
111 |
0-26 |
0.43 |
|
99 |
2-18 |
2.30 |
112 |
0-23 |
0.38 |
|
100 |
2-0 |
2.00 |
113 |
0-20 |
0.33 |
|
101 |
1-44 |
1.73 |
114 |
0-17 |
0.28 |
|
102 |
1-31 |
1.52 |
115 |
0-15 |
0.25 |
